Automatic stacking and taping machine



l 13%.@1970 f F.; CAU'FANQ Em 3,546,045

v AUTOMATIC sTAcKING AND TAPING MACHINE.

Filed July' 21a, 1967 ',5- sheets-sheet :s

22 INVENToRs. l FRANK ..cALlrANo F/G' 3 y BY PAUL'nsnuTAK duz, m'fQ- ATTORNEYS De. s, ,1970 F. L. CAUFA'NO Em., 3,546,045

l l AUTOMATIC STACKING AND TAPING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet A INVENTURS "Mm L. CALIFANo PAUL n. smmx Filed'lJuly 2s, 196rr United States Patent O U.S. Cl. 156-486 14 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLSURE An apparatus for binding stacks of sheet material wherein a suitable length of binding material is applied to a compressed stack of the sheet material and is firmly adhered to the compressed stack of sheet material to form a compact bundle.

The present invention relates, in general, to machinery for binding together stacks of sheet material, such as plywood, gypsum board, insulation board and the like and, in particular, to equipment for applying tape, metal straps, wire and other binding materials to such stacks.

At the completion of the manufacture of sheet materials such as those mentioned above, the sheets are stacked and bound in 'bundles for shipment. Usually, the particular binding material which is employed is dependent upon the type of sheet material being bundled, In some manufacturing facilities, the bundles are bound manually, while in others automatic machinery is employed for this purpose. The normal problems of manual operation, for example high costs, low speed, etc., common to other manufacturing steps also are present in the bundling of sheet material. Accordingly, the preferred practice at the present time is to employ automatic machinery for binding together bundles of sheet material. However, none of the equipment presently available satisfies concurrently the usual requirements of modern-day machines. Among the more common problems of automatic bundling machines being employed at the present time are lack of reliability, frequent breakdowns, slow speed, and hazardous working conditions. In addition, these machines, generally, are very expensive to assem-ble and they lack versatility in handling different sheet materials and different size bundles.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide new and improved machinery for bundling sheet materials.

rIt is another object of the present invention to provide such machinery which is not subject to the shortcomings and limitations of comparable equipment presently in use.

For a better understanding of the present invention, together with other and further objects thereof, reference is made to the following description, taken in connection with the`accompanying drawings, and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

:Referring to the drawings:

FIGS. la and lb are schematic diagrams which illustrate the operation of a bundling machine constructed in accordance with the present invention which employs a tape having a pressure sensitive adhesive surface as the binding material.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of a bundling machine depicted schematically by FIGS. la and lb;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the bundling machine of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a front elevation view of the bundling machine of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate, on an enlarged scale, portions of the lbundling machine of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 illustrates the manner in which the bundling machine of FIG. 2 may be adapted to employ a tape to which an adhesive is added or a tape having a water soluble adhesive surface; and

FIGS. 8, 9, 10 and ll are schematic diagrams which illustrate the operation of a bundling machine constructed in accordance with the present invention which employs metal straps or wire as the binding material.

IFIGS. la and lb are schematic diagrams which illustrate the operation of a bundling machine constructed in accordance with the present invention. A tape 10, supplied from a roll (not shown), is passed around a roller 12 and between two pairs of rollers 14a, 14b and 16a, 16b. Tape 10 has a bare surface which contacts rollers 12, 14b and 16b, while the other surface of the tape is provided with a pressure sensitive adhesive. The free end of tape 10 is grasped by apair of tape clamps 1'8a and 118b positioned initially just below rollers 16a and 16b. Tape clamps 118a and 18h are secured to shafts 20a and 20b, respectively, which are arranged for opposed pivotal movements. Initially, tape clamps 18a and 18b are spread in the manner indicated by the dotted lines so that the free end of tape 10 may be grasped by the tape clamps. `Once tape 10 is positioned between tape clamps 18a and 1817, the tape clamps are pivoted with their respective shafts 20a and 20b toward each other to the positions illustrated by the dot-dash lines in FIG. la. These movements of tape clamps 18a and 18h result in tape 10 being grasped firmly by the tape clamps.

Next, tape clamps 18a and 18b are moved downward together to the positions shown by the solid lines, whereby tape 10 is drawn past a stack 22 which is to be taped. Positioned above stack 22 is a compressing plate 24 which is arranged to move downward from its position illustrated by the solid lines to its position illustrated by the dot-dash lines. This downward movement of compressing plate 24 results in a compression of stack 22 prior to the application of tape 10 to the stack.

After stack 22 is compressed, a tape press 26 and a pair of tape buffer rollers 28a and 28b are moved horizontally from their respective positions in FIG. la to the positions in FIG. lb. In particular, tape press 26, disposed vertically, moves against the bare surface of tape 10 pressing the adhesive surface of the tape against the end of stack 22. At the same time tape buffer rollers 28a and 28b move to the positions illustrated by the dot-dash lines in FIG. lb contacting the bare surfaces of tape 10 above and below stack 22. After the tape buffer rollers reach these positions, tape clamps 18a and 18b separate to release the free end of tape 10. A knife 30, moving horizontally with tape buffer rollers 28m and 28b, is arranged to cut tape 10 at a point just below rollers 16a and 1Gb by movement from its position in FIG. la to its position illustrated by the dot-dash lines in FIG. 1b. The elevation at which the tape is cut corresponds to the initial or upper position of tape clamps 18a and 18h so that the new end of the tape subsequently may be grasped by the tape clamps. Tape buffer rollers 28a and 28b then are moved further to the right across the top and bottom surfaces, respectively, of stack 22 to wipe the adhesive surface of the tape along these surfaces of the stack. The end positions of tape buffer rollers 28a and 28b are illustrated by the solid lines in FIG. 1b. Although tape 10 already has been cut, knife 30, moving with the tape buffer rollers moves t0 its position illustrated by the solid lines in FIG. 1b.

After the buing operation is completed, compressing plate 24, not being located in the path of movement of tape buier roller 28a, is raised and the tape press, the tape buffer rollers and the knife are retracted to their initial positions. Next, tape clamps 18a and 18b are elevated to the positions illustrated by the dotted lines in FIG. la so as to receive the new free end of tape 10. The cycle of operation just described then is repeated to apply another strip of tape to the stack at a different point along the length of the stack.

FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 are various views of a bundling machine constructed in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 5 shows, on an enlarged scale, the details of the roller assembly through which the tape is guided to the tape clamps. Referring to FIGS. 2-5, inclusive, tape is supplied from a roll 11 which rests upon a turntable 15. The tape passes a pair of rollers 13a and 13b and roller 12 about which the tape is twisted as its direction is changed. The tape then passes between the two pairs of rollers 14a, 141) and 16a, 16b, located to the left of an air cylinder 32 as viewed in FIG. 3. The free end of the tape is grasped by tape clamps 18a and 18b. Turntable 15 rotates freely as tape clamps 18a and 18b move downward and draws the tape off of roll 11. A limit switch (not shown) is actuated at the end of the downward stroke of the tape clamps to energize an electric brake 17 coupled to turntable 15 and located below the turntable. Brake 17 prevents an over-run of tape 10 by preventing turntable 15 from rotating when the brake is energized. When the tape clamps move upward and toward their initial positions, brake 17 is de-energized and turntable 15 is free to rotate.

Air cylinder 32 controls the opening and closing of tape clamps 18a and 18b in a manner to be described in detail hereinafter in connection with FIG. 6. Upward and downward movements of the tape clamps 18a and 1812 are effected by a second air cylinder 34 which is secured to a support plate 35. The operation of air cylinder 34 also will be described in detail hereinafter.

A third air cylinder 36 serves to move compressing plate 24 downward to compress stack 22 prior to being taped and upward after the stack has been taped. The movements of compressing plate 24 are guided by a guide roll 38 which passes through a hole in a plate 40.

Tape buffer rollers 28a and 28b are mounted rotatably at the ends of a pair of arms 42a and 4217, respectively. Upper buffer roller arm 42a is secured to an adjustment block 44, while lower buffer roller arm 4217 is secured to a sliding block 46. A pair of posts 48a and 48b, best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, are secured at their lower ends to sliding block 46, while their upper ends are received in a pair of bushed holes in adjustment block 44. With this arrangement, adjustment block 44 and, therefore, upper buffer roller arm 42a may be moved vertically relative to posts 48a and 48b, This vertical adjustment is provided to accommodate stacks of different height. The particular setting of adjustment block 44 and upper buffer arm 42a may be xed by suitable means, such as one or more thumb screws received by the adjustment block and bearing against one or both of the posts 48a and 48b. Tape press 26 is also arranged to have a variable height to accommodate different size stacks.

Sliding block 46 is mounted for sliding movement back and forth along a pair of fixed parallel shafts 50a and 50b. Both of the shafts 50a and 50b are mounted in a pair of supports 52 and 54.

The buffer roller assembly, comprising tape buffer rollers 28a and 28b, buffer roller arms 42a and 42b, adjustment block 44, sliding block 46 and posts 48a and 48b, is moved back and forth horizontally along shafts 50a and 5011 by means of an air cylinder 56. This air cylinder is anchored at its left-hand end, while the moving rod of the cylinder is secured to sliding block 46. Movements of the buffer roller assembly toward stack 22 may be controlled either by adjustment of the stroke of air cylinder 56 or by a fixed stop, such as a collar 58 on shaft 50a.

A knife holder 60, which carries knife 30, is secured to upper buffer roller arm 42a through a block 62. Thus, knife moves vertically with upper buffer roller 28a and upper buffer roller arm 42a and horizontally with the entire buffer assembly. The position of knife 30 in knife holder 60 is adjustable so that a desired relationship between the cutting of tape 10 and the bufing of the tape may be effected. A preferred mode of operation is to permit a slight amount of bufng to take place before the tape is cut.

Tape press 26 is mounted on a tape press frame 64. Each of the lateral edges of tape press frame 64 is provided with a horizontally disposed elongated slot 66. Slots 66 are engaged by a pair of cam followers (not shown) individually mounted on a pair of brackets 68a and 68h. Brackets 68a and 68b are secured to sliding block 46 of the buffer roller assembly. Therefore, brackets 68a and 68b move horizontally with the buffer assembly.

Tape press frame 64 and tape press 26 are moved toward and away from stack 22 by an air cylinder 70. The left-hand end of air cylinder 70 is anchored in a bracket 72 and the moving rod of this air cylinder is secured to the tape press frame.

The arrangement of the buffer roller assembly and the tape press frame is such that air cylinders 56 and 70 may be actuated simultaneously to move tape press 26 and tape buffer rollers 28a and 28b simultaneously toward stack 22. The movement of tape press 26 stops after the adhesive surface of the tape is forced against the end of stack 22. Air cylinder 56, still being actuated, drives the buffer roller assembly further toward the right so that tape buffer rollers 28a and 28b move across the top and bottom surfaces of stack 22 wiping the adhesive surface of the tape above and below the stack onto these surfaces of the stack. The cam followers mounted in brackets 68a and 68b move within the slots 66, thereby permitting relative movement between the stationary tape press frame and the bufier roller assembly.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the mechanism which opens and closes tape clamps 18a and 18b. The moving rod of air cylinder 32 is affixed to a rack 80 which is movable vertically (into and out of FIG. 6). Rack engages a gear 82 which is secured to shaft 20b. Also secured to shaft 20b are a second gear 86 and tape clamp 18b. A third gear 88, secured to shaft 20a, meshes with gear 86. Also secured to shaft 20a is tape clamp 18a.

As rack 80 is moved vertically, gear 86 turns in one direction, while gear 88 turns in the opposite direction. AS a result, tape clamps 18a and 18b also move in opposite directions, toward and away from one another, dependent upon whether rack 80 is moving upward or downward.

Tape clamps 18a and 18b and the associated control mechanism are mounted on a frame 89 which is affixed to a slide block 90. Block 90 moves vertically within a guide channel 91 which, in turn, is affixed to support plate 35. The moving rod of air cylinder 34 is fixed to slide block 90 through a bracket 93. As a result, tape clamps 18a and 18b are moved upward and downward by air cylinder 34.

Screw 94, best shown in FIG. 4, serves to set the length of the stroke of air cylinder 34, and, therefore, the length of the tape to be cut for a particular stack. A block 95, secured to bracket 93 through which the moving rod of cylinder 34 is secured to slide block 90, moves upward and downward with tape clamps 18a and 18b. Block 95 abuts against end 94a of screw 94 to stop its upward movement. Thus, the height of end 94a of screw 94 establishes the uppermost position of the tape clamps. As a result, the length of the tape being cut may be set to accommodate different size stacks.

In order to prevent an excessive length of the free end of the tape from dangling, thereby making it dificult for the tape to be grasped by the tape clamps, rollers 16a and 16b are moved upward and downward so as to be located just above the uppermost position of the tape clamps. As shown most clearly in FIG. 5, the location of these rollers is set by tightening a pair of nuts 98a and 98b on a bolt 97 to hold a frame 96, carrying rollers 14a, 14b and 16a, 16b, in place.

A shoe 99 is secured to roller frame 96 below roller 16a to prevent the adhesive coating on tape 10 from sticking to roller 16a. Because the adhesive coating bears against the narrow edge of shoe 99, the tendency of the tape to curl around roller 16a is eliminated. As a result, the tape hangs downward and is grasped by tape clamps 18a and 1811.

FIG. 7 illustrates the apparatus which may be employed to adapt the machinery shown in FIGS. 2-6, inclusive, to use a tape having a water soluble adhesive or a tape to which an adhesive coating is added. A tank 100 containing a liquid, for example, water, a wet adhesive or a hot melt adhesive, is positioned in close proximity to roller 16a. A roller 102, positioned so that its periphery will dip into the liquid in tank 100, carries the liquid out of the tank to another roller 104 which, in turn, transfers the liquid to roller 16a. The roller 16a applies the liquid to tape as it is drawn between this roller and roller 16b.

When tape 10 is provided with a water soluble adhesive, the liquid in tank 100 is water. A wet adhesive or a hot melt adhesive is provided in tank 100 when an adhesive coating is to be applied to the tape. A heater 106 may be located in the bottom of tank 100 when a hot melt adhesive is to be applied to the tape.

FIGS. 8, 9, 10 and 1l are schematic diagrams which illustrate the operation of a bundling machine constructed in accordance with the present invention which employs metal straps or wire as the binding material. The binding material 120, supplied through two pairs of rollers 122a, 12212 and 124g, 124b, is drawn downward by a pair of grasping clamps 126a and 12619 between a pusher 128 and a stack 22 which is to be bound. A pair of benders 130a and 130b move laterally (out of the drawing) into position. Each bender has a central pin 132a, 132b and an eccentric pin 13451, 1341) which are spaced apart sufficiently to permit binding material 120 to pass between them.

A pair of cutters 136 and 138 move toward each other to the positions illustrated in FIG. 9 and cut a length of the binding material. The cutters 136 and 138 are so shaped that prior to cutting the binding material, the binding material is bent to have a notch. As a result, after the binding material is cut, the ends are crimped due to the bending introduced by the cutters.

Benders 130a and 13017 then are turned in the directions of the arrows on the benders in FIG. 8 to the positions shown in FIG. 9. As a result, the pins 132e, 134a and 132b, 13417 exceed the elastic limit of the binding material and bend the binding material to the shape of a C clip as shown in FIG. 9. The crimped tips of the iC clip are forced against a pair of spreaders 140a and 140b. After the C clips are formed, the benders 13011 and 130b are retracted (moved into the drawing) to their initial positions.

The nature and characteristics of the binding material are such that when it is bent into the shape shown in FIG. 9 it will tend to retain this shapewhen the spreaders 140er and 140b move away from each other to the positions shown in FIG. 10. After the spreaders reach the positions shown in FIG. 10, the pusher 128 and the spreaders move horizontally to the right applying the clip to the stack 22. In particular, the pusher 128 moves from the position illustrated by the dot-dash lines in FIG. 11 to the position illustrated by the solid lines. The spreaders move from the positions illustrated by the dotdash lines in FIG. 11 through the positions illustrated by the dotted lines to the positions illustrated by the solid lines. After the spreaders leave the positions illustrated by the dotted lines, the crimp tips of the clip slide off of the spreaders and snap toward the top and bottom surfaces of the stack and dig slightly into these surfaces. By crimping the tips of the clip, the clips are prevented from sliding olf of the stack.

While there have been described what are at present considered to be the preferred embodiments of this invention it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modiiications may be made therein 6 without departing from the invention and it is, therefore, aimed to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is: 1. Bundling machinery for sheet materials comprising:

a source of binding material; releasible grasping means for grasping a free end of said binding material for pulling said binding material from a storage roll and for drawing said binding material past a stack of sheet material which is to be bound together; said releasible grasping means comprising a pair of opposed pivotally mounted levers adapted to pivot from an open position to a closed position wherein said free end of said binding material is held between said levers; means for controlling said levers to move said levers from said open position to said closed position to grasp said free end of said binding material and to move said levers from said closed position to said open position after said binding material has been drawn past said stack thereby to release said free end of said binding material; driving means for moving said grasping means back and forth past said stack at prescribed times;

means located between said source of binding material and said stack for cutting a length of said binding material drawn past said stack;

and means for applying a cut length of said binding material to said stack.

2. Bundling machinery according to claim 1 wherein the binding material is a tape having a pressure sensitive adhesive surface.

3. Bundling machinery according to claim 1 wherein the binding material is a tape having a water soluble adhesive surface.

4. Bundling machinery according to claim 1 wherein the binding material is a tape to which adhesive is applied prior to being drawn past the stack to be bound.

5. Bundling machinery according to claim 1 wherein the binding material is metal straps.

6. Bundling machinery according to claim 1 wherein the binding material is wire.

7. Bundling machinery for sheet materials comprismg:

a source of binding material;

releasible grasping means for grasping a free end of said binding material at a rst position of said grasping means for pulling said binding material from a storage roll and for drawing said binding material past a stack of sheet material which is to to bound together;

said releasible grasping means comprising a pair of opposed pivotally mounted levers adapted to pivot from an open position to a closed position wherein said free end of said binding material is held between said levers;

means for controlling said levers to move said levers from said open position to said closed position at said first position of said grasping means thereby to grasp said free end of said binding material and to move said levers from said closed position to said open position at a second position of said grasping means after said binding material has been drawn past said stack thereby to release said free end of said binding material;

driving means for moving said grasping means back and forth between said rst and said second positions of said grasping means;

means located at said iirst position of said grasping means and actuated after said grasping means move said free end of said binding material to said second position of said grasping means for cutting a length of said binding material extending between said first and said second positions of said grasping means;

and means for applying said length of binding material to said stack.

8. Bundling machinery for sheet materials comprising:

a strip of tape having a bare surface and an adhesive surface;

a tape press spaced from a stack of sheet material which is to be bound together and movable horizontally toward a side of said stack, said tape press being disposed vertically and arranged to contact said bare surface of said tape and t force said adhesive surface of said tape against said side of said stack;

a pair of tape grasping clamps together movable between a first position above said tape press and a second position below said tape press for grasping a free end of `said tape at said first position and for drawing said free end of said tape downward between said tape press and said stack to said second position;

a first tape buffer roller above said tape press and mova- H ble horizontally across the top of said stack, said first tape buffer roller arranged to contact said bare surface of said tape and to wipe said adhesive surface of said tape extending between said top of said stack and said first position of said tape grasping clamps across said top of said stack;

a second tape buffer roller below said tape press and movable horizontally across the bottom of said stack, said second tape buffer roller arranged to contact said bare surface of said tape and to wipe said adhesive surface of said tape extending between said bottom of said stack and said second position of said tape grasping clamps across said bottom of said stack;

a knife blade movable horizontally at the height of said first position of said tape grasping clamps for cutting said tape;

means for moving said tape press horizontally to said side of said stack;

means for moving said first and said second tape buffer rollers horizontally across said top and said bottom, respectively, of said stack;

means for moving said knife blade horizontally through said first position of said tape grasping clamps;

and means for moving said tape grasping clamps between said first and said second positions thereof.

9. Bundling machinery according to claim 8 wherein the knife blade and the first and second tape buffer rollers move together horizontally.

10. Bundling machinery according to claim 9 wherein a first air cylinder is coupled to the tape press to move said tape press horizontally and a second air cylinder is coupled to the knife blade and the first and second tape buffer rollers to move said knife blade and said tape buffer rollers horizontally. 4

11. Bundling machinery according to claim 8 wherein the tape is supplied from a roll which rests upon a freely rotatable turntable and an electric brake is coupled to said turntable and actuated to prevent rotation of said turntable when the tape grasping clamps reach their second position.

12. Bundling machinery for sheet materials comprising:

a strip of tape having a bare surface and an adhesive surface;

a tape press spaced from a stack of sheet material which is to be bound together and movable horizontally toward a side of said stack, said tape press being disposed vertically and arranged to contact said bare surface of said tape and to force said adhesive surface of said tape against said side of said stack;l

a pair of tape grasping clamps together movable between a variable first position above said tape press and a fixed second position below said tape press for grasping a free end of said tape at a selected first position and for drawing said free end of said tape downward between said tape press and said stack to said second position;

a first tape buffer roller above said tape press and movable horizontally across the top of said stack, said first tape buffer roller arranged to contact said bare surface of said tape and to wipe said adhesive surface of said tape extending between said top of said stack and said selected first position of said tape grasping clamps across said top of said stack;

a second tape buffer roller below said tape press and movable horizontally across the bottom of said stack as said first tape buffer roller moves across said top of said stack, said second tape buffer roller arranged to contact said bare surface of said tape and to wipe said adhesive surface of said tape extending between said bottom of said stack and said second position of said tape grasping clamps across said bottom of said stack;

a knife blade coupled to said first tape buffer roller and movable horizontally with said first tape buffer roller for cutting said tape;

coupling means between said first and said second tape buffer rollers for moving said first tape buffer roller and said knife blade vertically relative to said second tape buffer roller to position said knife blade at the height of said selected first position of said tape grasping clamps and to position said first tape buffer roller at the height of said top of said stack;

means for moving said tape press horizontally to said side of said stack;

means for moving said first and said second tape buffer rollers horizontally across said top and said bottom, respectively, of said stack and for moving said knife blade horizontally through said selected first position of said tape grasping clamps;

xed first stoppage means for limiting downward movements of said tape grasping clamps to said second position thereof;

variable second stoppage means for limiting upward movements of said tape grasping clamps to said selected first position thereof;

and means for moving said tape grasping clamps between said selected first and said fixed second positions thereof.

13. Bundling machinery according to claim 1 wherein said binding material is a metal binding material and wherein said bundling machinery includes means for bending said cut length of said binding material before said length of binding material is applied to said stack into a C clip adapted to tightly engage the top, side and bottom surfaces of said stack; and said means for applying said cut length of binding material to said stack comprises means for applying said C clip to said stack.

14. Bundling machinery according to claim 13 wherein the cutting means bend the metal binding material prior to cutting said binding material so that the tips of the cut binding material are crimped.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,984,378 5/1961 Gunter 156--489 3,031,368 4/1962 Zent 156-486 3,050,107 8/1962 Barry et al. 156-486 BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner I I. DEVI'IT, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 156--477 

